"Absolutely Oppose Euthanasia for Stray Dogs"…Thousands Protest in Turkey

Stray Dogs Estimated at About 4 Million
Risk of Euthanasia Due to Legal Revision Allowing Culling

A large-scale protest was held in Turkey against the amendment of the law allowing the euthanasia of stray dogs.

On the 2nd (local time), foreign media including AP News reported that thousands of citizens and animal rights activists gathered in Istanbul, Turkey, to protest. Participants in the protest opposed the government’s amendment to the Animal Protection Law, which permits the euthanasia of stray dogs, arguing that millions of dogs face the risk of being culled.

On the 2nd (local time) in Istanbul, Turkey, an animal rights activist wearing a dog face mask is protesting against legislation for euthanasia of abandoned dogs.
[Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]

It is estimated that there are about 4 million stray dogs across Turkey. On the other hand, stray dog shelters can accommodate about 105,000 dogs. Stray dogs mainly live on the streets and in rural areas. In Turkey, it is common for stray dogs and street cats to enter famous tourist spots, restaurants, and shops. Citizens often care for these animals by giving them bread and water. Until now, stray dogs have been treated as harmless beings, but after an incident last December in the capital Ankara where a 10-year-old child was severely injured by a pack of dogs, the Turkish government and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have been pushing for amendments to the Animal Protection Law.

Accordingly, the amended Animal Protection Law passed by the parliament in July strengthened regulations on the acceptance of abandoned and feral dogs in animal shelters and added grounds for euthanasia. Euthanasia is permitted for dogs that pose a public health risk, are uncontrollably aggressive, or cannot be adopted. Previously, local governments could capture feral dogs, neuter and vaccinate them, and then release them back onto the streets, but the amended law requires registering captured dogs’ information in a government database and housing them in shelters until they are adopted, thereby strengthening management. Initially, cats were also included in the scope of the amended Animal Protection Law, but due to public protests, the relevant provisions were changed.

President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an emphasized that this law is essential to solving the national issue of stray dogs. At an AKP party meeting held on the 23rd of last month, he said, "We are witnessing an increase in stray dogs that is not seen in any civilized or modern city in the world," adding, "Feral dogs are attacking our precious children. Increasingly many countries are warning that traveling to Turkey is dangerous because of feral dogs," stressing the necessity of the law’s enactment. However, protesters waved posters with slogans such as "Shelters are death camps" and "Repeal the bloody law," calling for the law’s abolition.

Hasan Kiziliatak (64), who participated in the protest, told AP News, "I hope the law is repealed immediately. They (the stray dogs) are living beings like us. We oppose their extermination." Also, the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), which holds 35 out of 81 provincial governorships, opposes the bill, stating that even if the law passes, local governments will not carry out euthanasia. On the other hand, groups supporting the amendment argue that since 2022, 65 people have died from dog attacks on the streets and that all stray dogs must be removed from the streets.